Adjustable display shelf system

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/126,530, filed Mar. 26, 1999, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatus for displaying goods for sale, for example, crated goods such as supermarket produce; more particularly, to shelving apparatus having a plurality of shelves disposed on an inclined surface so that goods on higher shelves do not obscure viewing of goods on lower shelves; and most particularly to a system of shelves wherein the shelves are supported on an adjustable, articulated frame so that the display angle and height may be easily altered, and so that the system may be easily collapsed to facilitate storage or shipping, all manually and without the use of tools.

Inclined, or stepped, shelving for displaying various different lots of items together is well known, especially crated lots such as supermarket produce (citrus fruits, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.). Stepped shelving is a more efficient mode of display than a simple inclined surface, permitting more material to be displayed per length of incline.

It is generally desirable to be able to vary the angle of incline according to the changing display needs of the materials being displayed, to vary the distance of those materials from a customer standing in front of the display, and to vary the height of the materials. It is further desirable, for efficient use of display space, that shelving be formed to accommodate standard shipping crate sizes. In typical prior art displays varying these display parameters can be difficult or not possible, and can require special tools. Further, typical prior art displays are known to have a rigid frame, making storage and shipping of the display means cumbersome and consumptive of valuable storage space.

What is needed is a system of adjustable inclined shelving having a plurality of modular stepped shelves which provide a readily accessible display to a customer, wherein the angle of display, height of display, and distance of display from the customer may be easily changed without the need for any tools, and wherein an articulated supportive frame may be collapsed for storage and shipping.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a system of improved adjustable inclined shelving wherein the angle and height of display may be changed without the need for tools.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a system of improved adjustable inclined shelving for crates wherein the depth of the shelves is optimal for displaying modular crates.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a system of improved adjustable inclined shelving wherein the system may be collapsed for storage or shipping.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, an adjustable inclined shelving system of the present invention has an adjustable, articulated frame comprising a rigid tubular horizontal frame portion and an articulated portion removably connected to the horizontal frame portion as by pins, preferably U-shaped, insertable and removable into matching holes in the respective frame members by hand without the need for tools. The adjustable frame includes front and rear generally vertical legs of unequal heights, the front legs proximal to a customer being shorter than the rear legs distal from the customer. The adjustable frame further includes a shelf support frame extending at an angle of incline between the front and rear legs for supporting a plurality of shelves. The shelf support frame is removably pinned to the legs. The legs may be pivoted on the horizontal frame to change the system from a collapsed configuration, as for shipping or storage, to an erected upright configuration or kneeling configuration for display, and return. In the upright and kneeling configurations, the system is afforded structural rigidity by one or more removable diagonal braces extending between the legs and the horizontal frame, which braces are held in place by removable pins. The front legs may be pivoted from vertical to horizontal by unpinning of the braces to lower the shelving to the kneeling configuration. The rear legs are telescopic and may be extended or retracted vertically to change the display angle as desired. The shelving is attached, preferably removably as by pins, to the shelf support frame and is configured in width and disposition of the individual shelves to optimize the display of a plurality of crates. Optionally, the legs may be further provided with transverse horizontal members for supporting detachable auxiliary shelves for displaying additional crates at the front and/or rear of the system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention, as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof, will become more apparent from a reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of an adjustable shelving system in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the shelving system of FIG. 1 in an erected upright configuration, showing two different angles of display of the shelving;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the shelving system of the present invention in an erected knee configuration;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the shelving system of the present invention showing of nal additional crate display positions and crate storage within the system frame;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a U-shaped pin for use in removably connecting various part of the system, for display or for storage, without the use of tools;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the system shown in FIGS. 1-4, showing the system in a lapsed configuration for storage or shipping;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a plurality of one type of shelf in accordance with the present invention, showing convenient nesting of the shelves for storage or shipping; and

FIG. 8 is a view like that shown in FIG. 7, showing another type of shelf similarly nested.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1 through 8, an adjustable display shelf system <b>10</b> in accordance with the present invention has a horizontal, preferably rectangular frame <b>12</b> formed from, for example, metal tubing having a rectangular cross-sectional profile. Frame <b>12</b> includes side rails <b>14</b>, front rail <b>16</b>, and rear rail <b>18</b>. Intermediate rails (not shown) extending between the side rails or between the front and rear rails may also be included as desired. Frame <b>12</b> may be provided with feet (not shown) and preferably is provided instead with castors <b>20</b>, which may be swivelable or non-swivelable and may be lockable, at each corner <b>22</b>. Front legs <b>24</b> and rear legs <b>26</b> are supported at their lower ends by frame <b>12</b> and extend upwards in a generally vertical direction. Front legs <b>24</b> and rear legs <b>26</b>, formed of, for example, rectangular metal tubing, are particularly and removably connected to frame <b>12</b>, preferably by connecting means which may be installed by hand and without the need for tools, for example by well-known spring clips, rings, or pins. A presently preferred connecting means is a generally U-shaped pin <b>28</b>, as shown in FIG. 5, which may be inserted into matching holes <b>30</b> in frame <b>12</b> and legs <b>24</b>, <b>26</b>, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, for coupling the frame to the legs. Preferably, a plurality of such pins <b>28</b> are universal connectors used to form all the removable connections in the system.

Front legs <b>24</b> are diagonally supported for front-to-back rigidity by braces <b>32</b> (only one visible in the drawings) extending between legs <b>24</b> and frame <b>12</b>. Front legs <b>24</b> may also include a cross-rail <b>34</b>, as discussed further below. Rear legs <b>26</b> may also include one or more cross-rails <b>36</b>, as discussed further below.

Rear legs <b>26</b> preferably are a predetermined amount longer than front legs <b>24</b> such that a shelf support frame <b>38</b> removably connected to the upper ends of legs <b>24</b>, <b>26</b> is inclined toward the front of the system, this being the location from which a customer may most frequently view goods being displayed on the system.

Preferably, support frame <b>38</b> is bent near its lower end by a first angle <b>40</b> approximately equal to the lowest intended system angle of display, as shown in FIG. 2, such that the lower portion <b>42</b> of frame <b>38</b> is substantially horizontal. Frame <b>38</b> is connected to legs <b>24</b>, <b>26</b> by pins <b>28</b>, and preferably the connection to leg <b>24</b> also includes brace <b>32</b>, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Rear legs <b>26</b> may be optionally provided with telescoping means for extending or retracting the legs to increase or decrease the angle of inclination of support frame <b>38</b>. For example, frame <b>38</b> may be raised to a higher display angle <b>39</b>, as shown in FIG. <b>2</b>. Each leg <b>26</b>, being formed of, for example, hollow rectangular tubing, include a telescoping member <b>26</b><i>a </i>extending from the upper end of leg <b>26</b>, which member is perforated at intervals to permit its being secured as by pinning at any desired length of extension from leg <b>26</b>.

Frame <b>38</b> supports display shelves, which may take a variety of forms. In embodiment <b>10</b>, two exemplary forms of shelves are shown; other forms, as may be desired for specific display purposes, are within the scope of the invention. First shelves <b>44</b> are generally rectangular in cross-section, having a supporting bottom <b>46</b> and a back <b>48</b> and, preferably, a lip <b>50</b>. Shelves <b>52</b> have a supporting bottom <b>46</b>, back <b>48</b>, and lip <b>50</b> and further have a supporting wall <b>54</b> attached to back <b>48</b> and a second bottom <b>56</b>. Preferably, each of shelves <b>44</b> and <b>52</b> is formed separately, such as, for example, by stamping and/or folding sheet metal or by folding or extruding plastic polymer in known fashion, and is removably attached to support frame <b>38</b> by pins <b>28</b> as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, similar to the way in which the frame components and legs are interconnected. Back <b>48</b> of the lowermost of shelves <b>44</b> supports the bottom <b>46</b> of the next-higher shelf <b>44</b>, and back <b>48</b> of the highest shelf <b>44</b> supports the bottom <b>46</b> of shelf <b>52</b>. Preferably, the shelves overlap only slightly, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, such that the interiors of open crates <b>57</b> of goods are readily visible on all shelves. Preferably, the front-to-back depth of bottoms <b>46</b>, <b>56</b> is selected to hold a standard size crate snugly between the lip <b>50</b> and the back wall <b>48</b>, <b>54</b>. One such standard crate size is <b>24</b> inches long, <b>16</b> inches wide, and 8.5 inches deep. Preferably all of shelves <b>44</b> are identical such that they can be nested as shown in FIG. 8 for storage or shipping. A plurality of shelves <b>52</b> can also be similarly nested, as shown in FIG. <b>7</b>.

Additional display shelf space at the front and rear of the system is optionally provided as shown in FIG. <b>4</b>. One or more auxiliary shelves <b>58</b> is formed having a narrow U-shaped portion <b>60</b> for fitting between front legs <b>24</b> or rear legs <b>26</b> to hang over front cross-rail <b>34</b> or rear cross-rail <b>36</b> and a wider bottom and lip portion <b>62</b> for engaging the outer surface of the legs to hold the shelf in place.

If desired, a pan <b>64</b> may be formed to fit across the side rails <b>14</b> to support stored crates <b>66</b> within the interior of the erected frame, as shown in FIG. <b>4</b>.

System <b>10</b> is conveniently erected in either an upright or kneeling configuration. In the upright configuration, as shown in FIGS. 1, <b>2</b>, and <b>4</b>, shelf support frame <b>38</b> is supported by front legs <b>24</b>. Alternatively, braces <b>32</b> and front legs <b>24</b> are disconnected from frame <b>38</b> and folded onto side rail <b>14</b>, as shown in FIG. 3 (or removed entirely), permitting frame <b>38</b> to be connected directly to side rail <b>14</b> in the kneeling configuration.

The system frame is conveniently collapsed for storage or shipment, one possible collapsed configuration being shown in FIG. <b>6</b>. Obviously, numerous other collapsed configurations and/or disassemblies will occur to those skilled in the art, and all such configurations are within the scope of the invention.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved adjustable display shelf system, wherein a collapsible frame may be set up in a range of display angles and may be folded for storage or shipping without the use of tools. Variations and modifications of the herein described shelf system, in accordance with the invention, will undoubtedly suggest themselves to those skilled in this art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be taken as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.